Ukulele soloing help needed

strumsilly

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I have been playing with a blues band. I am mostly playing rhythm, harmony singing, and harmonica . every once in awhile I am asked take a break on the uke. I feel a bit over my head when that happens. any advice?
 
If it's blues, just learn the pentatonic scale for the key you are playing in and when it's your turn just play around ONLY on those 5 notes, you will not be wrong...

An easy way to practice is to jam along at home with an Ipod or what not, or get a blues backing track. You'll see that's all there is to it.

Unfortunately I don't have others to play with :( so I use a looper etc to do my own thang!
 
If it's blues, just learn the pentatonic scale for the key you are playing in and when it's your turn just play around ONLY on those 5 notes, you will not be wrong...

An easy way to practice is to jam along at home with an Ipod or what not, or get a blues backing track. You'll see that's all there is to it.

Unfortunately I don't have others to play with :( so I use a looper etc to do my own thang!

I recently had someone tell me the same thing. I currently only know my scales in C. So he played 12 bar blues in C while I plucked randomly through the C scale notes. It wasn't all great, but I could tell it did go together and with work could work out some cool solo stuff I imagine. Reading this now reminds me that I need to go back and learn all the other scales and not just C! Great advice!
 
Mahalo Kayak Jim, I am sure I will be spending lots of time at Ukulele in the Dark. Looks like a great resource!
 
Yes - learn the scales. Yes - learn the licks, but don't forget to feel it brothers and sisters.
A good solo comes from the heart and speaks to the soul.....
 
Yes - learn the scales. Yes - learn the licks, but don't forget to feel it brothers and sisters.
A good solo comes from the heart and speaks to the soul.....

THIS!

Lately I have been learning songs differently - I start learning from music or songsheets, but then later I try to just work it out without music. I find I learn it better that that way, and it gets my own flavor in it.
 
I was singing "Galway Bay" to an old Irish fellow one day, and kind of rushing it - I needed to be somewhere else......
When I finished he said (in a thick Belfast accent):
"Well that was fine for what it was, but ya' know....the sound comes from ya' throat, and out ya' mouth, but the song comes from ya' heart"
He then sang the song himself in a shaky, weak voice, but slowly, and with such feeling....
It moved me greatly and I will never forget it. He put himself in there.
One day I might sing as well as him.
 
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I'm with Pueo here. I learn the chords and lyrics from from some "canned" medium. Then I work out the melody on my own. I frequently use different videos of the same song to see how I wish to attack the Rhythm.
 
Try a website called Ralphpatt.com
Also many good backing tracks available on youtube.
I have also used the Jamey Aebersold series. I had them from my trumpet playing days and have used them from time to time with the uke.
 
Right ......you cannot run before you can walk ...you cannot solo well until you know your basic chords and some scales ...you cannot play without a little understanding of the instrument ...understanding not from reading books tabs scores but from interacting with your instrument playing with it and playing on it....... that ephemeral moment when you play a scale and it sounds right to holding a chord and then playing around with a spare finger 'til you have made a little blues shuffle or some other embellishment..Play a song with the chords...until you know it backwards ....listen to the chords ....listen to which frets on which
strings sound a bit like the tune ....find the tune in the chord....get something simple like O Susanna ..work it out ....listen to the music as it comes out as you pick the right strings ...eventually ...remember where and whta you did ...tab it ,...in whatever way you find works.... ..stop hero worshipping Jakes and James and Coreys (use them to be entertained and amazed) and hero worship your own fingers and abilities............ find your own achievements and strive to improve them .....Cricket ...Locust ..........Grasshopper.
 
I'm working on solo as well. Takes time and you need to feel it that's for sure. I do best on songs that I've figured out myself by listening :)

I think ...no I know that that is what I was trying to say ....with a thousand words were a few would have done ...I am such a doofus...*sigh* Bonesigh you is genius...
 
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